Career In The Army part 2 (Hopefully)

bakes0310 · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:01

Cause of the no search function i couldnt find my old thread so i think ill just make a new one.

Since late January this year i have been getting myself fit ready for a career in the Army. And today for the first tiem in my life I feel like im physically fit and ready. I went for my run today along the canal and i timed my 1.5 run and done it in 9min59secs which im really happy with as i had to do it in 10mins30secs

As soon as i got in i went on the army website and filled out the online applicatin form and ill be hearing from them withing 10 days

Im hoping (and a little help from a captain) to get in the ColdStream Guards its something i really wanted to do from when i was little and nows my chance to live my dream.

I know its going to be extremely challenging and i know theres going to be times where i want to go home, but there will be times when ill feel like the most happiest chap ever

and talk about job satisfaction aswell itll make me feel like im making a difference even if its a small one.

Im off in my caravan in 2 weeks and im going near an army base so ill be talking to the soldiers on patrol asking them questions and maybe theyll let me hold there rifle

Pebbles · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:03

Good luck!

bakes0310 said:
Im off in my caravan in 2 weeks and im going near an army base so ill be talking to the soldiers on patrol asking them questions and maybe theyll let me hold there rifle

Course they will! Ask 'em (and make sure someone is videoing while you do

)

MrJimjok · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:04

Whats the distance your having to run for the fitness??

And btw i wouldnt recommend trying to hold one of the regs rifles. All military bases in the UK are at a heightened state of alert at the moment due to the Glasgow Bombings so i dont think it would be advisable!!

You should have had a look at the cadet forces for an experience into army life!

bakes0310 · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:15

MrJimjok said:
Whats the distance your having to run for the fitness??

And btw i wouldnt recommend trying to hold one of the regs rifles. All military bases in the UK are at a heightened state of alert at the moment due to the Glasgow Bombings so i dont think it would be advisable!!

You should have had a look at the cadet forces for an experience into army life!

Only joking i know they wouldnt let me touch it

I currently run twice a week 1 run is a 1.5miles to see if im keeping on top of my running time ready for my test. And the other run i do is 4.75 miles with bag that carries 2 washing powder boxes and i do that run to improve endurance, and to get me used to running with a bag. I go to the gym 3 times a week for about hour and half sessions. Basically this is my fitness routine:
Sunday-Run
Monday-Gym
Tuesday-Rest Day
Wednesday-Gym
Thursday-Run
Friday-Rest Day
Saturday-Gym

But its looking all good on the fitness front, and im just looking forward to getting in, fingers crossed

Edit:
oops didnt answer your question i got to do a 1.5mile run in 10minutes 30 seconds

Ghosteh · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:18

lol, I very much doubt you would be able to hold their rifle. But good luck

Do you have a gf at the moment? Because, unless she is really up for the army, my advice would be dump her before you get to basic lol. Biggest problem when I was going though Basic was gf's calling bf's any complaining, caused so much bloody upset lol.

Anyways, good luck fella. I'm hoping to get back in soon hehe. The application process may take ages just to warn you, especially this time of year. I've had my application in for about 2 months now, not even been on selection yet, not heard any dates etc.

bakes0310 · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:25

Ghosteh said:
lol, I very much doubt you would be able to hold their rifle. But good luck

Do you have a gf at the moment? Because, unless she is really up for the army, my advice would be dump her before you get to basic lol. Biggest problem when I was going though Basic was gf's calling bf's any complaining, caused so much bloody upset lol.

Anyways, good luck fella. I'm hoping to get back in soon hehe. The application process may take ages just to warn you, especially this time of year. I've had my application in for about 2 months now, not even been on selection yet, not heard any dates etc.

No gf

I would like to go in about febuary-march time so thats why im doing it now cause ive heard it can take about 2-6 months. And i thought they were really in need of more soldiers.
And as for my application it says that i should be hearing from them within 10 days, didnt you even get a phone call.

Ghosteh · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:33

bakes0310 said:
And as for my application it says that i should be hearing from them within 10 days, didnt you even get a phone call.

Nah, I went in to my local AFCO, I had some extra stuff to ask as I am reapplying after a Medical Discharge in 2005. I'm sure you will hear back, What I mean though, is it can take up to like a year to get in, if your unlucky, if your lucky, 2 months. When I 1st got in It took around 3 months from start to finish.

ps. good thing to have no gf for basic training hah.

bakes0310 · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:39

Ghosteh said:
Nah, I went in to my local AFCO, I had some extra stuff to ask as I am reapplying after a Medical Discharge in 2005. I'm sure you will hear back, What I mean though, is it can take up to like a year to get in, if your unlucky, if your lucky, 2 months. When I 1st got in It took around 3 months from start to finish.

ps. good thing to have no gf for basic training hah.

What Regiment were you in and what role?

Ghosteh · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:49

bakes0310 said:
What Regiment were you in and what role?

Going in the Royal Corps of Signals as a Systems engineering Technician. Big geek basically lol.

bakes0310 · 19 Aug 2007 at 13:55

Ghosteh said:
Going in the Royal Corps of Signals as a Systems engineering Technician. Big geek basically lol.

cool thats going to be very rewarding aswell as giving you options when you come out

Ghosteh · 19 Aug 2007 at 14:19

bakes0310 said:
cool thats going to be very rewarding aswell as giving you options when you come out

Yep. My original plan was to do around 5-6 years doing that, then coming out and getting a job on civvy street. but after getting discharged, and working on civvy street for the past 2 years, I hate it lol. When I get in again, im planning on doing at least 22 years hah.

bakes0310 · 19 Aug 2007 at 14:26

Ghosteh said:
Yep. My original plan was to do around 5-6 years doing that, then coming out and getting a job on civvy street. but after getting discharged, and working on civvy street for the past 2 years, I hate it lol. When I get in again, im planning on doing at least 22 years hah.

After working on civvy street ( look at me army talk already

) its really helped me in thinking that i really want to make a good go at it and try and stay in that army as long as possible. I know im not in yet but its gotta be better than warehouse work

Dist · 19 Aug 2007 at 14:31

I hope to join the army once i finish my OU ICT degree in a couple of year, hopefully that degree will allow me to be an IT Instalation technician (according to the job description on the army site, it involves installing and maintaining networking equipment, which im very much interested in). My only problem will be is if they turn be down due to lack of GCSEs, i just hope they can see that i have a degree in a relevent field and thatll be enough, because the non technical jobs that dont need qualifications, dont interest me.

bakes0310 · 19 Aug 2007 at 16:10

I was on the official army site just looking up what sort of infantry roles you can be, all of them are quite self are quite obvious like paratrooper and sniper but then i saw the following:
Reconnaissance Soldier
Assault Pioneer

What do you suppose that involves?

meghatronic · 19 Aug 2007 at 17:15

bakes0310 said:
I was on the official army site just looking up what sort of infantry roles you can be, all of them are quite self are quite obvious like paratrooper and sniper but then i saw the following:
Reconnaissance Soldier
Assault Pioneer

What do you suppose that involves?

http://www.army.mod.uk/staffords/careers/assault_pioneer.htm
http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/reg...s/hqcompany/assault_pioneer_platoon/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assault_Pioneer

http://www.army.mod.uk/qoy/main_directory/training/index.htm

zom247 · 19 Aug 2007 at 17:35

bakes0310 said:
I was on the official army site just looking up what sort of infantry roles you can be, all of them are quite self are quite obvious like paratrooper and sniper but then i saw the following:
Reconnaissance Soldier
Assault Pioneer

What do you suppose that involves?

Being thick as mince helps! Also the ability to carry heavy objects and not being able to read and write is a pre-requisite for some infantry jobs (I speak from experience of serving with them and I'm NOT infantry)

bakes0310 · 19 Aug 2007 at 17:40

zom247 said:
Being thick as mince helps! Also the ability to carry heavy objects and not being able to read and write is a pre-requisite for some infantry jobs (I speak from experience of serving with them and I'm NOT infantry)

woot im gonna fit right in

I would like to be a sniper i heard thats really challenging or if not maybe a heavy machine gunner. My dad was in the ColdStream Guards and he was in the mortar division which doesnt really appeal to me but maybe...

Ghosteh · 19 Aug 2007 at 17:42

Dist said:
I hope to join the army once i finish my OU ICT degree in a couple of year, hopefully that degree will allow me to be an IT Instalation technician (according to the job description on the army site, it involves installing and maintaining networking equipment, which im very much interested in). My only problem will be is if they turn be down due to lack of GCSEs, i just hope they can see that i have a degree in a relevent field and thatll be enough, because the non technical jobs that dont need qualifications, dont interest me.

If you get a degree you could possibly go for officer if you so wished. Best thing you could do is go to your local AFCO(Armed Forces Careers Office) or ACIO(Army Careers Information Office) and have a word with them, or If you want to try you could try the Online thing, but they always seemed to say go to the local AFCO lol.

Dist · 19 Aug 2007 at 21:32

Ghosteh said:
If you get a degree you could possibly go for officer if you so wished. Best thing you could do is go to your local AFCO(Armed Forces Careers Office) or ACIO(Army Careers Information Office) and have a word with them, or If you want to try you could try the Online thing, but they always seemed to say go to the local AFCO lol.

I did ask if a degree would enough on the online thing, he said he isnt sure about an installation tech, but he said a degree with no gcses will be unlikely to be able to be a officer (my degree is mainly IT, with 1 maths courses that is about GCSE level, but it lacks english/history/science courses, which im guessing is why its not enough for an officer).

he did say though that to get a better answer i would have to go to an AFCO place, which i may do in the last year of my degree, ive got 2 or 3 years ahead of me still, so im not goign to see them in person just yet.

It does sort of suck that even though im studying a degree, i could be missing out on things like being an officer just because i dont have a couple of gcses.

meghatronic · 19 Aug 2007 at 21:52

Dist said:
I did ask if a degree would enough on the online thing, he said he isnt sure about an installation tech, but he said a degree with no gcses will be unlikely to be able to be a officer (my degree is mainly IT, with 1 maths courses that is about GCSE level, but it lacks english/history/science courses, which im guessing is why its not enough for an officer).

he did say though that to get a better answer i would have to go to an AFCO place, which i may do in the last year of my degree, ive got 2 or 3 years ahead of me still, so im not goign to see them in person just yet.

It does sort of suck that even though im studying a degree, i could be missing out on things like being an officer just because i dont have a couple of gcses.

Do them

Like you said you have 2-3 years to go, and I'm sure you could easily do GCSE Maths/English - which is all you need I think.